Bug Boy: Temari Edition
by Mrs.InsaneOne
Summary: This story is a deviation of Bug Boy starting from Chapter 31/32 (Transitional Training) that takes the story a different direction, includes a different fate for at least one other character, and has a main pairing of Harry (Satoshi)/Temari.
1. 31: Transitional Training

**Disclaimer:** _All HP characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies and all Naruto characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. This is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

 **Brief Synopsis for Bug Boy** (starting from the prologue through chapter thirty): _To be added once I get it written._

 **Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), some moderate Dumbledore bashing (he's more manipulative than evil but mostly just stubborn), and who knows what else._

 **AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

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Chapter 31: Transitional Training

Satoshi knelt on a tree branch above Training Ground Sixteen and watched the eighteen young shinobi he was currently training fight a pitched battle that set six of them against the other twelve; his mind wandering occasionally. Four of the other five Jounin instructors that were assigned to the teams below (Maito Gai not a participant because he was also a division captain) were similarly perched in trees around the perimeter of the large training ground, each of them carefully monitoring the unfolding drama below.

Every Saturday and Sunday for the past two and a half months, like clockwork, the six teams would meet at Training Ground Sixteen to train together as a single fighting unit. The training simulations that Satoshi and the other Jounin would put them through varied from week to week in order to expose them to a wide range of mission scenarios that were designed to help them get used to working together. The first four weekends had been difficult as two of the teams that had been assigned to Satoshi were suffering from a lack of cohesive teamwork.

Satoshi had needed to bang more than a few heads together in order to get them to see passed their own superiority. He'd also assigned the least forgiving tasks and creatively humiliating handicaps to those that couldn't put their personal opinions and issues aside and chose instead to start fights. One such punishment had been binding Hyuuga Neji to Rock Lee by the hand and foot for an entire weekend and it had forced the two of them to learn to work together in order to accomplish their assigned task.

The worst part was that Satoshi had set the two of them against all sixteen of the other teens and preteens and told them they had to keep a secret document from falling into enemy hands. They had lost the document eight times in less than an hour and taken a thrashing in the process each time before they began to realize that the other boys and girls weren't going to go easy on them just because they were handicapped and were too busy fighting between themselves. They walked away with a new respect for each other's abilities that weekend and a healthy respect for Satoshi's threats and orders.

The other team was put through what Satoshi called Trust Training; he took away one of each boy's senses before throwing them to the wolves against the other five teams with a mission to 'capture the bandits'. Minoji lost his ability to see, Shibire lost his voice, and Tanzou's hearing had been temporarily removed which made it exceptionally hard for the three of them to communicate. They had needed to quickly learn to trust one another in order to overcome their handicaps to complete their mission; an uphill battle that ended with their 'deaths' more than a hundred times over the course of the two day training period.

The other Jounin had initially thought that Satoshi was being too hard on the youngsters until Satoshi sat all six teams down and had them watch a pair of memories from his days on both Team Four and Team Twelve. Specifically, he had them watch Team Four's successful capture of a small group of twelve mercenaries when Satoshi had just turned six (one where Kushina had mostly just observed) and the first half of the disastrous mission that had seen the end of Team Twelve when he was nine (leaving out everything that had happened after he'd secured the bandits' camp).

After that there was no more infighting between teammates or even between different teams or ranks and Satoshi introduced Kushina's trusting building exercise by challenging each person to tell each of the others something new each time they met for training. He also made it a point to have them meet outside of training and spend time together sharing their hobbies so that they could better understand each other.

The success rate of their training exercises had improved dramatically after that and it soon got to the point where it didn't matter who they were paired with for the exercises or who had been selected to 'lead' the mission. They were quickly approaching the point where Satoshi was considering approaching the Hokage for an actual mission for his squad as he no longer feared the mission could potentially fall apart because of a lack of teamwork or trust.

Training his new squad wasn't the only thing Satoshi had been doing over the past two and a half months; he had also continued to offer the chakra control workshops each afternoon (when he was in the village), took Team Four on C and B Ranked missions, worked on getting his physical condition back up to where it had been prior to the Iwa Chuunin Exams, continued learning the ins and outs of running the clan from his father, and spent endless hours learning what it took to keep the village running smoothly.

That last one was a kicker; an unexpected burden that was also a challenge that one day promised to be highly rewarding. He had been caught off guard when the Hokage had asked him if he'd be willing to accept a great a responsibility in order to safeguard the future of the village. Satoshi had been more than a little leery of the offer at first, distinctly recalling what the man had said about him seriously considering him a potential Hokage; a job Satoshi most certainly did _not_ want.

It had taken most of the hour prior to the Council meeting for the Sandaime to explain what exactly he had wanted from Satoshi, what it would encompass should he accept, and what would be expected from him in the future should he complete the training. Satoshi had then spent most of the subsequent meeting twisting the idea back and forth in his mind, only half paying attention to the discussions going on around him; not at all worried about missing any of it because he had his Kikaichu monitoring everything going on around him.

He hadn't missed the various looks that had been sent his way by the others present during the meeting nor had he missed the way his father would occasionally scowl at the Hokage and the various department heads. When the meeting had finally been adjourned, Satoshi hadn't moved from his seat as he allowed his gaze to seek out those who would be his potential teachers for the foreseeable future.

In the end, he had agreed but with a stipulation of his own; that each department head ear mark the individuals that they considered their ideal successor, that those individuals and their teammates (if they were assigned to a team) were all placed in his division so that he could ultimately earn their trust and respect and teach them to trust and respect one another, and that they name at least three people that could fulfill their positions until said successor was ready to assume the position.

It was a risky request, as some of their choices would undoubtedly be older than Satoshi and they could well have an issue following him; but that was the point. He needed to know that those he could potentially end up training could listen to his orders and accept what he was teaching them. They accepted far faster than he'd thought they would and he figured that they must have suspected he would ask for something similar and been prepared to concede should he ask.

He also learned that he wouldn't be taking his lessons completely alone; each department head already had an assistant or a second in command that was learning the ins and outs of their positions and he would be working closely with each one. In some cases, it would be those aides and deputies that would be teaching and training Satoshi; allowing him a chance to get to know and learn how to work with the people that would step into the place of their superiors if the worst should happen and help him train those that would eventually take over the position.

At the same time it would test those people to see just how well they knew the protocols and see how well they could train someone to take over the position. Satoshi actually preferred it that way; knowing that he wouldn't be the only one holding such a wealth of knowledge and that there were people he could go to when he had questions.

Jiraiya had been the first one to start teaching Satoshi; the Sennin for once acting completely serious as the two of them sat down with hundreds of maps (nary a mention of research or women outside of those that were his contacts). The white haired man had then proceeded to list the names of his contacts, the establishments where they could be found, the best time of day to find them there, the type of information each one could provide, and how he compensated them for their information.

He listed these individuals city by city, starting with those inside of Hi no Kuni; methodically giving detailed descriptions of each person, the names of their family and friends, and the passwords he'd set up to allow each contact to verify the authenticity of any emissaries he sent to them in his place. He also made it a point to describe and name those people in each city that could cause problems; the petty criminals, the unscrupulous officials, spies from other nations or organizations, and those people that would sell their own mothers just to make a quick buck.

It was a considerable amount of information to absorb and Jiraiya often quizzed Satoshi at the start of each session on what they had covered the previous time in order to make certain that he'd missed nothing.

Satoshi had found himself respecting the older man on a whole new level after those lessons, seeing a side of the man that Jiraiya had buried deep in order to mislead people into thinking he was nothing more than a harmless old pervert. In his mind, the face that Jiraiya presented to the world was no different than the alternate personalities that Satoshi had created in order to protect his identity when he was part of the AnBu. Knowing that, the last of the reservations that Satoshi had had about allowing the man to take Naruto out of the village on a two or three year training sabbatical were put to rest.

So when Jiraiya suggested allowing Naruto to sign the summoning contract with the toads early, Satoshi merely shrugged and said he was fine with it before asking Jiraiya if the man knew where he could find a few other unused summoning contracts lying around. When Jiraiya asked him why he wanted more contracts, Satoshi explained his desire to see each of the children with a large enough chakra reserve signing a contract in order to give them a trump card and help strengthen the village (by bringing those new contracts into the village). The Toad Sannin offered to see what he could do but made no promises.

After two intense weeks of lessons with Jiraiya, the man left the village once more after making arrangements to send Satoshi additional material once a week. Satoshi then started taking lessons alongside Shizune beneath Furofuki and the Hokage; both of them learning everything there was to know about running the Hospital and training new medics in addition to learning the administrative duties that were required of the Hokage. Satoshi had bluntly asked Shizune why she was attending those lessons with him when he knew that Tsunade was still seriously thinking about leaving.

Shizune confessed that she felt Tsunade was looking for a reason to stay in Konoha and that she, Shizune, had personally missed the village that her uncle had loved with all his heart and had no desire to leave again. Satoshi had smiled and thanked her for her honesty before asking if she wanted any help in finding a reason to keep Tsunade in the village; citing his desire to keep the temperamental woman around for Naruto's sake – they were family after all, even if only distantly related.

Conspiring together, Satoshi and Shizune had spent hours together plotting and planning in addition to studying the various books and scrolls that Sarutobi and Furofuki had given them to read. Satoshi even allowed the kunoichi to read through a number of his texts on magical healing after spending an entire day with Shizune and Kanpou going over Shin's medical history and walking her through the process he'd used to cure the young man.

The rather talented young medic had forcibly dragged Tsunade to Satoshi's house after reading through just a fraction of the first book that Satoshi had let her see and demanded that Satoshi show her his books. Instead of complying, Satoshi had introduced both women to Hermione (who also had a copy of the same magical healing texts that Satoshi had) and informed the two kunoichi that Hermione and her husband could brew all of the healing potions. He also let them know that a qualified magical healer would be joining them in the summer and that she would be able to help them understand what magic could and couldn't heal better than he could.

Not long after introducing the two women to the Boots, Tsunade began sitting in on the lessons that Satoshi and Shizune had been taking; most notably those with Furofuki, though she did occasionally join in when they were discussing village protocol with Sarutobi as well. Shortly after Tsunade started joining them, Sarutobi's old teammates and long time advisors (Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu) started participating in the lessons that the Hokage was giving Satoshi and Shizune.

Homura and Koharu took extra care to coax Tsunade into participating in the lessons and Satoshi suspected that they were working towards getting Tsunade comfortable with the idea of becoming the Godaime Hokage. Sarutobi's secretive smiles only reinforced that idea in Satoshi's mind and allowed the eighteen year old to relax during those lessons as he felt far more comfortable knowing there was far less of a chance that the Hokage was grooming him to take the Hokage position if the man was actively maneuvering his former student into the position instead.

Besides, Satoshi knew that Naruto dreamed of one day becoming the Hokage and the last thing the magical shinobi would do was steal his honorary little brother's dream out from under him.

During his nightly lessons with his father, Satoshi had insisted that Shino and Torune be included in the lessons since there was no guarantee that Satoshi would live to take his father's place as the head of the clan. Torune however, actually declined, stating that it wasn't his place to lead the clan but Satoshi suspected it had more to do with the fact that Torune was host to the Dokumushi and worried he'd be unable to sire an heir because of the venomous bugs.

So it was that only Shino joined Satoshi each night as their father continued his lessons; Satoshi spending time with his brother to teach him everything that Shibi had taught him earlier so that Shibi wouldn't have to repeat the older lessons. Those nightly lessons actually saw the two brothers growing even closer together as it was one of the few times that Satoshi spent with just Shino (none of the other children around vying for the older teen's attention); something that had rarely happened through the years.

It was also a chance for both boys to spend time with their father and hear more stories about their absent grandparents and their mother.

Being busy from the moment he rose until the moment he crashed each night meant that Satoshi had little time to spend with Saki; though he did consistently make certain that he ate each meal with her every day without fail. Saki didn't take to well to the separation in the beginning; his daughter long used to Satoshi's constant presence but she slowly adjusted as her attention was drawn by the various individuals around her.

Each morning, after breakfast, Satoshi would drop her off at the daycare that Hannah ran in order to expose his daughter to other children and help her develop socially. Pinny would follow along and help Hannah keep an eye on the children during that time and keep an eye on Saki (the dainty elf's main job was still to protect the littlest Aburame). While she was at the daycare, Satoshi would also cut the amount of chakra he was feeding her coils in half in preparation for the day when her Kikaichu would be implanted and so it would be less of a shock to her chakra network when the day came for him to cut the connection completely.

Lunch would see Satoshi or one of his clones picking her up so they could share a meal at the park, or on rainy days at home, where Satoshi would play with her for an hour after the meal while his swarm continued reading through his various lessons. Once Kanpou released him from his medical restrictions (after his body stopped aging at an accelerated rate and his core was no longer stressed) he would switch out his swarm for a shadow clone to do the extra reading. Until that point, the only thing Satoshi would be able to do safely was transform into his animagus form or create a few Mushi Bunshin since the bug clones were formed entirely by the magic and chakra that his swarm ingested (the clones tied to him by only the thinnest threads of chakra).

After playing with his daughter and making certain she was fed, Satoshi would deliver his daughter to the Genin or Chuunin team that had picked up the babysitting mission he filed for the afternoon (much as his father had once done for him). Saki would then spend those four hours running about the park, playing games at one of the indoor recreation centers (on rainy days), or in the Aburame Compound.

Each team allowed to take Saki's babysitting mission had at least one shinobi or kunoichi that Satoshi had personally trained or worked with over the years; that familiarity with at least one member of the team allowing Satoshi to trust them with his daughter. The chakra connection he shared with his daughter was also fully opened during that time; so that Satoshi could find her no matter where her current babysitters ended up taking her for the day. Additionally, Pinny and one of his other elves would keep an eye on Saki while she was with the team.

Satoshi would reclaim his daughter around supper time and take her home for a bath before sitting down with the rest of the family to eat. The rest of Saki's evening would then be spent playing quietly on the floor of Shibi's office with Pinny or Dobby while Shibi gave Shino and Satoshi their evening lessons or told them stories about the past. Shibi would then spend an hour cuddling and playing with his granddaughter before tucking her into bed while Satoshi spent time with all seven boys (and occasionally a handful of their teammates). Telling them an assortment of stories about various missions he'd been on that he hadn't been able to share with them sooner because they hadn't been shinobi at the time or giving them English lessons (Shino, Naruto, and sometimes Hinata helping since all three of them had been reading, writing, and speaking the language for years now).

When Team Four took missions outside of the village, Satoshi took Saki with him (placing a silencing charm on his jacket to prevent someone from hearing her) unless he knew there would be fighting. During the missions where he expected trouble, he would leave Saki either with his father or with her godparents and make arrangements for Ko to check on her twice a day to monitor her chakra network since there were times when Satoshi was too far away to maintain the connection between them (his current limit roughly one hundred miles).

Eventually, both Kakashi and Shibi would start taking over the connection during those times (Kakashi's Sharingan helped him quickly determine the proper amount of chakra needed and Shibi had prior experience after dealing with Satoshi's weak coils early in his life – he just couldn't maintain the connection as long since he didn't have the same level of control that Satoshi had gained) once it became clear that the Sandaime was living up to his promise to assign Team Four more difficult missions. Thankfully, they were also fairly short term missions, usually lasting no longer than a week and they were usually assigned no more than one or two such missions in a single month.

Satoshi was pulled back to the present when a weight settled beside him on the branch he'd been crouching on and he glanced up briefly to smile at Kakashi, his Kikaichu had warned him who it was before he'd even finished registering the new presence. The two of them silently watched the end of the battle below (the two teams that had been sent to capture the 'bandits' had successfully captured two-thirds of their targets while the other third had 'killed' half of the 'good guys' before escaping). Satoshi let out a sharp whistle to call an end to the exercise before he gave Kakashi his full attention.

"The Hokage sent me to tell you he needs you to join him in his office in an hour so that you can be introduced to the Jounin that will be assigned Genin teams tomorrow. He wants you to bring your captain's cloak but he said to keep it out of sight until he introduces you because he wants to see the reactions of the other Jounin," Kakashi explained. "There were thirty-one Genin that passed, meaning that we've got one man out who'll automatically get a pass as he or she will be assigned to team up with a pair of Chuunin who recently lost their sensei and third member on a mission during that nasty rainstorm we had a few weeks back."

"Are you going to take a team this year?" Satoshi asked even as he nodded an acknowledgment in response to the summons.

"Hai, Uchiha Sasuke finally passed the exam or rather he was finally allowed to take the exam," Kakashi replied, a frown marring his brow briefly. "They are worried about his obsession with getting revenge but have no valid reason to continue holding him back because he is talented despite his flaws."

"Joy," Satoshi deadpanned as he jumped down and headed towards where his squad was gathering in the center of the field. "I suppose I'll see you in about an hour or are you going to fashionably late?"

"I'll be there on time," Kakashi replied with a pout.

"He threatened your collection of signed Icha-Icha books again, didn't he?" Satoshi inquired with a knowing smirk.

"There's no need to rub it in, gaki, nor is it a laughing matter," Kakashi growled as he reached out to slap Satoshi in the back of the head, only to miss when Satoshi ducked at the last second.

"Oh I don't know… it would certainly explain the S Class mission that Neko told me the Hokage was holding for the Kawarimi Twins at the Mission's Desk."

"Nani!?"

Satoshi laughed and Shunshined away from Kakashi when the older man attempted to tackle him. The eighteen, almost nineteen, year old then joined his squad as they spent the next twenty minutes discussing what they'd done wrong or right and challenged them to figure out how they could have done it better. Normally, he'd spend far more time going over the entire exercise but because he'd been summoned by the Hokage, he cut their discussion short and set them a research assignment to complete during the course of the week; to find and document three different historical instances where a small force had successfully overpowered a significantly larger force and the methods they used to win.

Satoshi then dashed home to shower, change, and collect his daughter from her current minder early before heading to the Hokage's Tower. Kakashi met him outside of the tower and glowered over Satoshi's earlier crack about a mission for a full minute before he chuckled as the two of them walked up the side of the tower to enter the Hokage's office through the window; Saki squealing in merriment from her perch on Satoshi's shoulders.

Surprisingly, they were not the last ones to arrive for once as that honor was given to Sarutobi Asuma (the Hokage's youngest son) who walked in some five minutes after them. The older, bearded Jounin nearly swallowed his cigarette when Satoshi pinned the man with an emerald glare from over the top of his sunglasses that promised a slow a painful death for daring to smoke in the presence of his daughter. Poor Asuma didn't have a clue as to what he'd done to piss the shorter Jounin off until Saki let out a happy squeal from her perch on Satoshi's shoulders when she finally caught sight of the Hokage (whom she treated as a favorite older uncle slash grandfather).

Once the cigarette was put out, Satoshi stopped glaring and set his daughter on the floor so she could run up to the Hokage and give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Satoshi couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Sarutobi secure the lid on the open bottle of ink and placed both ink bottle and pen inside of his top drawer and lock said drawer before he picked Saki up. Ever since the time that Saki had gotten a hold of a bottle of ink, the Hokage took pains to make certain there was nothing on the desk that the little toddler could get into.

"Keep laughing and I'm going to assign Team Four to clean out the sewers each day for the rest of the month and make certain the three children know that you are the reason they were assigned such a wretched task," Sarutobi threatened even as he pushed his chair further back from the desk and settled Saki on his lap after she'd given him his hug.

Satoshi's laughter cut off but those standing beside him could still see the small smirk on his face as they glanced down at him from the corner of their eyes. While the Hokage was occupied, Satoshi took a moment to study the various Jounin that would be taking teams this year. Aside from Kakashi and Asuma (the latter known to the teen only in passing due to the man's relationship to the Hokage) there was Yuuhi Kurenai (whom Satoshi occasionally still trained with when time allowed), Shirakumo Hayama (friend and teammate of Mokume Kunugi, Jounin Instructor for Team Two), Yamashiro Aoba (Team Twelve's former instructor), Shiranui Genma (Shibi's teammate and Satoshi's honorary uncle), Tatami Iwashi (Satoshi's old friend), and five people he didn't know.

By the time he finished his perusal; Saki had finished visiting with her 'grandpa' and had made her way over to Kurenai to visit with the kunoichi who was something of an aunt to the toddler. Satoshi watched the kunoichi swing her up into her arms before he returned his attention to the Sandaime as the man addressed the group.

"I called each of you here this afternoon because you have all expressed an interest in taking a Genin team this year and were selected out of the thirty Jounin that volunteered to be assigned one of the eleven teams that will be created from this year's graduating class and a couple of Chuunin," Sarutobi began after knocking the bowl of his pipe on his desk to get everyone's attention. "The twelve of you were chosen because the skills you've developed through the years are the skills this year's graduates are best suited to learning; should they pass the final test that you will give them the day after tomorrow."

"If there are only twelve teams being assigned; then why is the pipsqueak here?" one of the unknown Jounin, an older man with a long, thin mustache and shoulder length pale lavender hair, demanded as he jerked his thumb in Satoshi's direction. "Everyone knows that he's still leading his first team around on his apron strings."

"Insult my otouto again and I'll cut your tongue out myself, Anano- _san_ ," Kakashi growled darkly as he smiled sadistically at the slightly older man through his face mask.

"Or I could just cut him off at the knees and let him see first hand what it's like to look up at everyone," Genma interjected as he spit out the toothpick he was always chewing on and pinned the man's sandal to the floor before pulling out a new toothpick and inserting it into his mouth.

"Bring it on, Cyclops," Anano spat back. "I can take you, the old geezer, and the pipsqueak too."

"Enough, all three of you," Sarutobi ordered as he slammed his hand down on the desk before gesturing at all three Jounin with his pipe stem. "I expect all of you to behave in a fashion befitting your rank." He then glared at the one who'd started the short argument. "And I'll thank you not to pick fights or insult your fellow Jounin in my presence."

"Sumimasen, Hokage-sama; it will not happen again," Anano muttered as he jerked his shoe free from the toothpick.

"See that it doesn't," Sarutobi growled before he sat back in his chair and stopped glaring at them. "Now, the reason I called you here today instead of contacting you first thing in the morning like I usually would is because I wanted to introduce you to the captain that most of you and your future teams will be serving under should they pass their final test."

Satoshi pulled out his white captain's cloak and settled it about his shoulders as he stepped forward to stand beside the Hokage's desk on Sarutobi's signal and the diminutive Jounin picked up the voice of the one who'd insulted him, his brother, and his team as the man cursed under his breath. Keeping his face void of all emotion, Satoshi studied the twelve Jounin lined up in front of the Hokage's desk; particularly the five that he'd never met before and Asuma since he'd technically never been introduced to the Hokage's youngest son either.

"This is Aburame Satoshi, captain of the Sixteenth Division," Sarutobi introduced for the benefit of those who didn't know Satoshi personally or who only knew of him by word of mouth. The Hokage then went on to name the twelve Jounin present for Satoshi's benefit. "I'm sure you remember Hatake Kakashi, Shirakumo Hayama, Shiranui Genma, Tatami Iwashi, Yamashiro Aoba, and Yuuhi Kurenai all of whom you've worked or trained alongside in the past."

"The others you've not met previously are Akame Iwana, Anano Mujini, Ito Tsubaki, Sarutobi Asuma, Ogawa Iyashi, and Yamanaka Santa. Barring Genma, Kakashi, and Asuma, who are all captains of their own divisions, each of you will join Satoshi's current squad alongside your teams (should they pass). I expect each of you to make arrangements with Satoshi to participate in his divisional training regime in addition to whatever training you have planned for your newly assigned teams."

There were several murmurs of agreement from all but two of the Jounin (Anano Mujini and Ogawa Iyashi; both of whom were obviously disdainful of Satoshi). Satoshi eyed them from behind his sunglasses but said nothing as he cordially nodded to each of the other Jounin before returning to where he'd been standing beside Kakashi. Saki wrapped her hands around the back of his legs a moment later and Satoshi silently helped her climb her way back up to his shoulders as the Hokage began passing out sealed packets to each Jounin (Satoshi's far thicker than the ones given to the other shinobi as he'd been given files on all of the Genin, two Chuunin, and the Jounin that would potentially be joining his division) and continued speaking.

"These packets contain everything you will need to know about your new students; their family background, their known strengths and weaknesses, their grades and tests scores from each of the years they attended the academy, what kind of trouble (if any) they have caused or gotten into during their academy years, and any known health issues they have had up to this point. I expect you to spend the rest of the afternoon reading through the information and trust that all of you will come up with an appropriate test for your assigned team."

"Team assignments will be announced at eleven sharp tomorrow morning and you will be expected to collect them from the Academy by one to introduce yourselves and pass along a time and place for their final test. Are there any questions? No? Then you are dismissed. Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Satoshi; if the four of you could remain behind for a moment, there is something further I need to discuss with you."

"There is no way in hell that I am passing a team if it means being reassigned to the runt," Mujini muttered under his breath to Iyashi as they walked passed Satoshi; the older man shooting the shorter Jounin a condescending glare.

"You and me both, bet the bug boy bought his captaincy as there's no way he's as good as the rumors say he is," Iyashi agreed with a sneer. "I don't know how a runt like that could have possibly passed the Jounin Exam in the first place unless he road in on the coattails of his team."

"I'd be happy to arrange a personal demonstration for the two of you if you doubt my skills," Satoshi loudly offered, his voice hard and cold as it cut through the office unexpectedly as he rarely ever raised his voice unless he was in one of his alternate personas. On his shoulders, Saki jumped in fright at the tone and volume of his voice; the soon to be two year old not used to hearing her father speak so loudly or so coldly.

"That's not necessary," Iyashi quickly stated as everyone turned to stare at the pair Satoshi had addressed.

"On the contrary, it is absolutely necessary," Satoshi countered just as loudly and just as coldly as he deftly removed Saki from his shoulders and gently tossed her towards her godfather without looking, knowing the older man would catch her, before he purposefully stepped closer to the pair. "You not only questioned my skills as a shinobi but my honor as both an Aburame and a Jounin-teichou of Konoha and I will not allow that to go unchallenged; especially after your earlier slights against my person, my family, and my team."

"We have Genin tests to plan…" Mujini started to declare only to cut off when the Hokage himself deftly extracted the sealed packets containing the teams he'd intended to assign the pair from their hands.

"It seems that I was mistaken in assigning the two of you teams this year; since you will no longer be taking teams, you are both free to participate in the demonstration and I will give you one hour to prepare yourselves and meet Aburame Satoshi on the field of Konoha's Stadium where I will preside over the match myself." Both men swallowed thickly before bowing to the Hokage and hurrying out of the office. Sarutobi then growled under his breath as he slapped both packets of information against Satoshi's chest as he turned to frown down at the still angry Jounin. "Inform Arashi and Aranami that they've just been selected to lead a pair of Genin teams, Satoshi, and then I expect you to be on the field in one hour to uphold our honor."

"Hokage-sama…?" Satoshi questioned uncertainly as he automatically reached up to grab hold of the packets before they fell.

"They cast aspersions my honor as a shinobi, my integrity as the Hokage, and my decision to promote you both to the rank of Jounin and again as a captain," Sarutobi stated as he glared towards the open door through which the pair had disappeared, the other Jounin in the office shifting nervously or quickly scampering out of the room to avoid getting caught in the line of fire of the Hokage's anger. "As Hokage it is beneath me to challenge them for such impudence so it is entirely up to you to uphold our honor. The most I could do, is assign them a few less than pleasant missions which wouldn't necessarily change their opinions about my decisions or your ability to lead a division."

"I understood that, Hokage-sama," Satoshi countered softly. "It was part of the reason I called them on it. I was actually a bit puzzled as to why you were assigning the Kawarimi Twins as Jounin instructors when I know for a fact that they had no intentions of ever taking a team."

"Most of the other Jounin that were qualified to take those two particular teams have already been reassigned, already have a team, are currently out of the village, or have already refused to take a team for various reasons; as the selection of this year's new Jounin sensei took place last week. I am confident that those two will have no trouble handling a team and I would rather allow both teams to be given a genuine chance to pass instead of leaving them in the hands of two Jounin that would intentionally fail them just to avoid being placed beneath a captain they can't respect because they choose not to look past appearances."

"I will notify them personally," Satoshi replied, though he was still frowning; he had no idea how he was going to train two fresh Genin teams on top of everything else he was doing and he knew that the Hokage knew that he couldn't turn time just to handle something like this because while he had completely recovered, he would be risking a relapse should he force his body to relive even one full day so soon.

"Good," Sarutobi murmured as he made his way back around the desk, reclaimed his seat, and addressed the other three Jounin still in the office. "I asked the three of you to stay behind as I suspect that the teams you have been assigned will be more likely to pass since Kakashi's and Asuma's teams both have at least two clan heirs on them and Kurenai has been assigned to take the two Chuunin that I mentioned earlier along with one of the older Genin that just graduated. I wanted to insure that the three of you will have no problems working with Satoshi in arranging for your teams to undergo additional training."

"About that… if Kakashi and Asuma are both captains of their own divisions, why aren't their Genin teams being placed under their command?" Satoshi asked curiously as he shot a quick glance at the two men in question.

"Three reasons," Sarutobi explained as he drummed his fingers on the desk. "First, Division Nine and Twelve were both established years earlier and the shinobi assigned to those divisions are all older, more experienced shinobi that have worked together for years and know what to expect from each other; throwing young, inexperienced Genin into those divisions would be like throwing sand into a bowl of dango mix – throwing everyone off and ruining the entire batch."

"Second, Division Sixteen is still undermanned and new; meaning that you need more people and those you have are young enough that they can adapt to new members far easier than any of the other divisions. And third, because both of their teams have at least one individual that has been earmarked as a future successor by one of the departmental heads and you specifically asked that those individuals be placed upon your team. On the whole, they're the same reasons why Gai is not part of your division; since Gai is the captain of Division Thirteen."

"Ah, I had completely forgotten that those particular individuals would be graduating this year," Satoshi murmured in understanding. "Will you be assigning any other older, more experienced individuals to my division as well? If you are, it might be best to introduce them at the same time as I introduce the new Genin because it would be easier to integrate them into the group all at once; rather than throw a wrench in the division's teamwork every few weeks with scattered additions."

"Yes, there were a couple of Jounin and a few Chuunin that I was considering assigning to your squad. I'll put together a complete list for you by tomorrow and send them notification for them to contact you to make arrangements to join your weekend training sessions. Off the top of my head though, there are seven of them you already know and have worked with in the past; Okada Kanpou (since you currently don't have a medic assigned to your division), Shirakumo Hayama, Tatami Iwashi, Uzutsui Arashi and Aranami (whether or not the Genin teams they will be testing make the cut), Kamizuki Izumo, Hagane Kotetsu, and Umino Iruka."

"I'm not certain whether or not you know Touji Mizuki or Hashimoto Houshou; the latter of which is a Chuunin level medic – giving you two fully trained medics in your division in addition to at least seven potential medics in training (two of whom you are already aware of and training as such). I'll hold off on deciding who else to assign based upon the number of Genin teams that pass tomorrow since their numbers will greatly effect how many additional bodies I assign to your division."

"Wakatta," Satoshi murmured as he accepted Saki back from Kakashi and hugged her close as she automatically curled into his chest seeking reassurance after her earlier fright (when Satoshi's voice rose in anger followed by the abrupt shift into her godfather's arms).

"Now that that is cleared up, do the three of you have any problems either working with or working under Satoshi?"

"Iie, I put up with the gaki on a regular basis already," Kakashi unhesitatingly offered while Satoshi huffed and gave the man he saw as his older brother a half grin.

"I'm alright with it," Asuma stated lazily. "I know Aburame is talented and the Jounin already assigned or that will be assigned to his division could easily offer supplemental training to the Genin that I've been assigned in my place since there is a wide range of talent already assigned to his team."

"I'm fine with it as well," Kurenai replied after shooting a brief glance in Satoshi's direction.

"Perfect, then I will dismiss the four of you now so that Satoshi still has time to turn those packets over to Arashi and Aranami and prepare for the coming demonstration," Sarutobi declared as he pushed away from his desk and gestured for the four Jounin to proceed him out of the office as he notified his assistant that he would be gone for approximately three hours, give or take twenty minutes.

Satoshi disappeared in a swirl of leaves two steps beyond the door to the Hokage's office in order to take his daughter home and gather up a few of the experimental pranks that the Weasley twins had been asking him to test. He found the eight teens and preteens that lived with him (or practically lived with him in Hinata's case) lounging around the living room working on the homework he'd assigned to them earlier, all eight of them browsing through a dozen different history books and scrolls that they'd checked out from the library sometime after he'd dismissed everyone.

Satoshi dropped Saki into Hinata's lap as he walked by them, calling back over his shoulder as he disappeared in the direction of his room, "The eight of you have just been volunteered for babysitting duty so that I can uphold the honor of the Aburame Clan and the Hokage while I teach a couple of Jounin why it is unwise to insult me, my family, and the Sandaime Hokage."

"Nani!?" eight voices cried out in unison as they glanced at the still subdued Saki before turning to face the door through which Satoshi had disappeared.

Satoshi reappeared not ten minutes later wearing his wakizashi swords strapped across his back beneath his captain's cloak, his pockets bulging with prank supplies, and carrying a white, pink, and red diaper bag. As he walked passed the still confused children, Satoshi tossed the diaper bag at Naruto (who caught it reflexively, just barely avoiding being hit in the face with the bag). The almost nineteen year old addressed them one last time as he headed straight for the door without slowing down.

"Since I know that you are going to follow me, make certain you pick one of the better sheltered sections of the stands to watch from since you'll have Saki with you; just in case things get out of hand. Shino, you might as well send a Kikaichu to all of the Clan members currently in the village as they will wish to be present since the coming demonstration is a matter of clan honor; tell them to gather on the stadium floor near the exit so that they will be prepared to hear the formal apology once I finish with my lessons. I've already alerted otousan so you can let him know that I asked you to gather the rest of the clan though it is possible that he has already done so. They have exactly twenty-one minutes to get to the stadium if they want to witness the demonstration."

He was gone just seconds later, making a couple of shadow clones in order to let a couple of other individuals know what was happening (specifically Kanpou in case he is injured, Kasai since the man will chew his ears off if he didn't let him know what was going on, his former teammates, and the rest of those individuals in his division. He wanted to make certain that the lessons he was about to deliver were witnessed by as many people as possible and if he left out any of his personal friends they'd bite his head off for it later. His clones would then henge into his alternate personas once they'd finished passing along their messages so that the Uzutsui twins would be there as well.

He reached the stadium just six minutes later to find that there was already quite a gathering forming up in the stands and he suspected that more than a few of the people he sent his clones to track down were already present; the Jounin that had witnessed Satoshi calling the other two out had apparently spread the word about what was taking place. A quick face check through the memories of his swarm confirmed who was already present and he sent that information to his clones by forming a third shadow clone, giving it the message, and having it dispel to pass the information along.

Satoshi then made his way to the center of the field and began stretching out and warming up while he waited for the two Jounin that had insulted him, his clan, and the Hokage. By the time Mujini and Iyashi turned up, every single shinobi and kunoichi that was not currently on duty, laid up in the hospital, or out of the village on a mission had gathered in the stands along with a good number of civilians who had been curious as to why the shinobi were suddenly gathering at the stadium.

A feral grin crossed Satoshi's face unseen behind the collar of his jacket as not only would the two Jounin be humiliated in front of roughly half of the shinobi currently on the payroll (or that were retired) they would also be marked as trouble makers due to their casting aspersions on the Hokage's honor and attempting to tarnish the Aburame Clan through its heir.

The Hokage arrived in his private balcony to preside over the match before Kasai and Hamaki walked out onto the field in order to referee the match just as soon as the Hokage took his seat. Silence fell over the entire stadium at that point as Hamaki loudly announced exactly what was happening to their larger than expected audience before Kasai stepped forward to give a very explicit set of rules to the three participants (basically stating that it was a no holds barred fight but that they were to keep it non-lethal).

Both high ranked Jounin then started the match before they removed themselves from the field so as not to get caught up in the battle.

"I will give you one chance to offer up a sincere and formal apology to me, to my family, to my clan, and to the Hokage for your insults," Satoshi loudly declared, his voice echoing through the oddly silent stadium, even as the other two men drew their swords and prepared to attack.

"It's too late to back out now, runt," Iyashi spat as he shifted to the left.

"I'm going to grind you into the dust and rip that cloak from your shoulders myself," Mujini added as he shifted to the right as the two men prepared to cleave Satoshi in half.

"So be it," Satoshi declared ominously before he back flipped out of the pincher attack and used a thread of chakra to drop his ankle weights.

The next forty-five minutes saw Satoshi systematically wearing the two Jounin down with taijutsu, kenjutsu, and an assortment of pranks. He chose not to use any ninjutsu because he wasn't going to risk his health just teach the two men a lesson and he avoided using his swarm to prove that his Kikaichu weren't his only strength. Those watching that had seen the memory of the thrashing Satoshi had given the Kamizuru clan in Iwa would quickly realize that Satoshi's current fight fell somewhat short of that three on one battle; the diminutive teen filled with mere determination and irritation rather than the absolute rage that had consumed him during that earlier battle.

It was a clear and concise demonstration that proved without a doubt that Satoshi had earned his rank through skill and effort. It was also a calculated battle designed to make utter fools of the two individuals that had questioned his skill and honor when they had never worked alongside him or even been formally introduced to him prior to that afternoon. The battle didn't stop until both older men begged for an end to the humiliation as Satoshi intentionally did not take half of the openings presented to him to knock either of them out; intentionally dragging the lesson out as long as possible.

Fight over, the entire Aburame Clan (including Shino who was holding Saki) lined up in front of the beaten Jounin in order to hear the apology the two were forced to give (to avoid the risk of losing face in light of their defeat). They were then required to give an apology to the Hokage who informed them that they would be restricted to two full weeks of D Ranked missions as further punishment. The two of them were then carried off the field by medics as they were suffering from chakra exhaustion, multiple cuts and bruises, and a wide assortment of magical pranks that would need to be sorted out magically as some of the effects would not wear off when they were supposed to due to the combinations used.

Satoshi bowed to the Hokage and the two gentlemen that refereed the match, picked up his discarded weights, and made his way over to where Kanpou was waiting for him. Other than a few scratches, a couple of bruises, and a mild case of exhaustion, Satoshi was unharmed; though Kanpou still ordered him to take it easy for the rest of the day and get some rest before congratulating him on the outcome of the fight.

The eighteen year old then joined his family and friends and headed home where he would clean and sharpen his swords before he ate supper. After the meal, he skimmed through the packet of files he'd been given regarding the new teams that could end up being assigned to his division, thoroughly scanned through the files of the two teams his alter egos had been tasked to test, and spent an hour soaking in a hot bath before he headed to bed; Saki curling up with him for the first time in months as she sought reassurance from him (the toddler still feeling rather insecure).

All across the village that night, money was exchanging hands as those that had bet on the outcome of the match either collected their winnings or paid out their losses while the nickname he'd been given by their Iwa escort after the Kamizuru battle, Konoha no Akai Akumu, was whispered back and forth with respect and awe or in some cases anger, concern, and fear.

* * *

 **Translations:** Japanese to English

Gaki – brat  
Sumimasen – I'm sorry (semi-formal)  
Iie – no  
Konoha no Akai Akumu – Konoha's Red Nightmare  
Nani – what  
Wakatta – I understand/understood

* * *

 **AN:** _Those of you who are also following the original version of this story will recognize that this chapter is almost identical to chapter 31 in the original posting of this story with the only notable exception being the inclusion of Kurenai as a Jounin Instructor and the addition of a twelfth team. And while it seems like such a small difference now, it ultimately affects the way this story unfolds. The next chapter will also be very close to the most recent chapter update on the original story with chapter 33 being the point where the first major deviation occurs._

 _I will be updating this chapter when I post the next chapter in order to add the synopsis of the first 31 chapters of Bug Boy (including the Prologue). I intended to have that written up prior to posting this chapter but I was having a bit of trouble writing it out and keeping it limited to a reasonable length and I didn't want to hold this chapter up for too much longer._

 _Anyway, the next chapter for this version of the story will be up this weekend. ~ Jenn_


	2. 32: The Ghosts of the Past

**Disclaimer:** _All HP characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies and all Naruto characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. This is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites._

 **Warnings:** _Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), some moderate Dumbledore bashing (he's more manipulative than evil but mostly just stubborn), and who knows what else._

 **AN:** _This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance._

* * *

Chapter 32: The Ghosts of the Past

The next morning, immediately after breakfast, Satoshi told Shino and Naruto to get Hinata and meet him at their old training field (the warded one where they'd first started their training); one of the few places where Satoshi knew he wouldn't be overheard by anyone he didn't already trust and where he wouldn't have to raise any privacy barriers or wards since they already existed. He then left to go drop Saki off at Hannah's in order to not disrupt her routine and because he planned to observe his two new Genin teams at the academy when their teams were announced in addition to getting a read on those individuals that were expected to pass the final tests and would therefore most likely be placed in his division.

The teenage father was pleased to note that his daughter no longer seemed to be suffering from the insecurity she'd displayed the previous afternoon and evening after he'd startled her in the Hokage's office. Though he did make it a point to mention her turmoil from the day before to Hannah as it was possible that she'd act up or that her magic would act out sometime after he left, if she grew insecure due to his absence.

Team Four was already waiting for him when he arrived, the three of them stretching out and warming up as they didn't know if Satoshi had called them for special training, a new mission, or something else and they made it a point to be ready for anything; which is why they'd also grabbed their shinobi gear. Satoshi checked the time before he joined them in the secluded clearing (one of a dozen such places that he'd claimed almost ten years earlier when he'd been paranoid about all the attention he'd been garnering thanks to the leaking of his then recent stats). All three of them immediately straightened up and gave him their full attention and Satoshi smiled at them with fondness and pride as they'd all become damned good shinobi (for their ages and current skill levels) in the past two years.

"I have some potentially troubling news that I wanted to make certain you heard directly from me instead of through the village gossip-vines so that I could fully explain the what, the why, and the how as it could potentially affect us as a team," Satoshi began softly as he clasped his hands behind his back. "First of all, what you are about to learn is in no way a reflection on you nor was it my decision or choice but since it was ordered by the Hokage; I am bound to accept his decision since, in a way, it was my fault that it happened. Please hold any questions or concerns you have until I am finished as I will most likely end up answering most of your potential questions during my explanation."

Satoshi paused and waited for all three of the pre-teens to nod in response before he plowed on, "I have, by way of Arashi and Aranami, been assigned to take two new Genin teams. The reason that I was assigned to take those two teams was directly related to the demonstration that I gave yesterday afternoon. The two Jounin that I faced in the stadium were originally assigned to take the two teams that I was asked to take until they voiced their intent to purposefully fail both teams in order to get out of being assigned to my division. The Hokage did not wish for either Genin team to be unfairly sent back to the academy because of the prejudices of two of his Jounin and so assigned them to my alter egos."

"While I might have some day taken on another team, I had not planned to do so for at least another year when Naruto's apprenticeship with Jiraiya-sama became official and after I'd found apprenticeships for Hinata and Shino. That said, there is no guarantee that one or both teams will pass their final tests or that they will both fail; which is why I wanted to make certain that you heard the news from me since the results of their tests will potentially affect us as a team. I am also not quite ready to cut you free as there are a few things yet that I wanted to teach the three of you and as I mentioned before I need to find two more individuals willing to take on an apprentice or at least offer some specialized training."

"Additionally, the rest of the teams that pass this year along with a handful of other individuals will be assigned to Division Sixteen; which will mean an extended training period in order to integrate them into the division before I break everyone into squads based upon skill. When all is said and done, I expect we'll have close to fifty members assigned to Division Sixteen with additional teams and members being picked up here and there until we have a full two hundred members; since that is the average size of each division. Our weekly training sessions as a team will remain unchanged bar the fact that six new Genin might join us along with a pair of my clones posing as Arashi and Aranami."

"The biggest change in our current schedule will be in regards to missions if one or both teams pass since the missions that you are qualified to take are of a higher rank than the ones the new teams would be assigned. In that case, you will have three options to choose from; you can take C Ranked missions as a three man squad, you can take an assortment of D Ranks just to pass time and earn pocket money until I get the new team or teams to the point where they can train alone a couple days at a time, or I can find another Jounin to fill in for my spot on Team Four occasionally. You'll have until the day after tomorrow to decide since I'm not going to start the test tonight like I did for the three of you because I've not had enough time to set anything up because I had no plans to take on a new team this year. Any questions?"

"Are you actually going to have to teach the two teams if they pass or are you just administering their tests and keeping an eye on them until a new Jounin can be assigned to their teams?" Shino asked after a moment's consideration.

"I will have to train one or both teams if they pass. It would be unfair to them to just pass them off to the first Jounin that will take them as it could impact them negatively; especially considering the fact that Arashi and Aranami have gained quite the reputation since they participated in the Jounin Exams and them passing their team onto another would also reflect badly upon the twins."

"This kind of sucks but it would suck more if they were purposefully failed because it would mean that they didn't even have a chance to prove themselves as being capable," Naruto commented as he crossed his arms and scowled at the ground for a moment before he glanced up and asked a question of his own. "We would have ended up working with them anyway if their original Jounin hadn't been idiots and they had passed their tests, ne?"

"Yes, you are correct in that they would have joined us for our weekend training exercises if the other Jounin had been willing to give them a fair chance to pass their test and they actually passed."

"Then it won't really be that big of a deal if you do pass them both; the only difference is that we'll see more of them then we would have if someone else had taken their teams," Hinata firmly stated while both Shino and Naruto nodded in agreement with the kunoichi.

"Since most of our former classmates graduated this year, will we know any of the six Genin you might be taking to train?" Shino inquired a moment later.

"It is possible that you know or knew of them, though they are apparently all from civilian families. You will without a doubt be working alongside a number of your former classmates though as most of them either passed last year or passed this year."

"So long as I don't have to work with Sasuke-teme," Naruto growled with a scowl. "He caused all kinds of trouble for me back when we were still in the academy; constantly trying to get me in trouble with those instructors that disliked me when I first started."

"I'm sorry to say that you will most likely end up having to work with Uchiha Sasuke as he did graduate and his team is one of those that will most likely pass their test. The good news is that he won't be on either of the teams I was assigned to test but the bad news is that he was assigned to Kakashi's team; which means he'll be around just as often as he would have been if he had been on one of my potential teams."

"I expect you to be on your best behavior around him and ask that you not start any arguments with him since I will not hesitate to give you the same treatment I gave Neji-kun and Lee-kun when they first joined us. At the same time I will not allow him to disrespect you because you do outrank him and if it becomes a problem and he targets you, I will arrange for you to have a chance to demand he face you in an honor match; much like the one I was in yesterday."

"I don't like it, but I won't start any trouble 'cause I know you won't let him start any trouble either."

"Thank you, Naruto, I appreciate you being honest with me about your dislike of him and being mature enough to accept my restrictions. I will try to avoid assigning him to your squad once I do divide the division into groups since the best way to avoid a confrontation is to eliminate the opportunity in the first place."

"Ano… does that mean that Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura might potentially be assigned to Division Sixteen as well?" Hinata asked with a slight frown.

"Hai; both Yamanaka-chan and Haruno-chan graduated this year and Haruno-chan is actually on one of the teams that I will be testing tomorrow. Why? Did you have similar troubles with the two of them that Naruto had with the Uchiha?"

"No… but those two have been bitter rivals since the day that they both decided that they liked Sasuke-kun and they tend to start yelling at one another the moment they see each other. It will be worse if one of them was placed on Sasuke's team as she will lord it over the other one."

"There was no kunoichi assigned to Uchiha-kun's team since it was noted that all of the girls that graduated this time were borderline obsessed with him. Kakashi specifically requested that no fan-girls be placed upon his team as he'd had to deal with more than his fair share of them while we were at Hogwarts. And while he can ignore his own personal fan-girls all day and all night if needed; it drove him nuts to deal with the obsessed girls that continuously chased after me and tried to either pull me into a broom closet, strip me bare to say they had a piece of my clothing, or dose me on love potions from the moment that my birth name was linked to my adopted name."

"You have fan-girls?" Hinata inquired curiously as Satoshi had never before mentioned any girls chasing after him before.

"Thousands of them; most of them far, far too old and whom had never laid eyes on me personally let alone actually met me," Satoshi confessed as he shivered over the reminder. "Many of them probably lost their infatuation with me by now due to how I left the wizarding world but I won't miss any of them. I'm just glad that none of them know where I live and that most postal owls will never be able to find the Hidden Countries due to the barrier that separates us from the rest of the world; meaning that they can't locate me through the mail."

"How come you never told us about them before?" Naruto demanded with a pout.

"Because you weren't old enough to understand quite how scary fan-girls can be to the one they are obsessed with until now," Satoshi solemnly explained. "They are the most frightening thing in the world and they can be far crueler than any enemy you face; especially when they are found in large numbers." All three pre-teens gave Satoshi skeptical look but dropped the subject when they noted that Satoshi was subtly checking the time before he addressed them once more. "If you don't have any more questions for now, then I'll leave you to finish your morning training while I go study my potential teams and put together an appropriate test for them."

"Aren't you a little old to be stalking little girls and boys?" Naruto asked while giving Satoshi a strange look.

"Are you accusing me of being a pervert?" Satoshi countered as he arched an eyebrow at his honorary little brother.

"No," Naruto drawled out extra slowly as he smirked at Satoshi; letting the Jounin know that that was exactly what the blonde had just implied.

"You do realize that I will get you back for that, ne?"

Naruto blanched slightly even as Satoshi gave him a smirk and left in a swirl of bugs. He reappeared outside of the Hokage's Tower just seconds later in a second swirl of bugs. He then headed up to the Hokage's office so he could apologize to him for being late for his usual lesson only to learn that his lesson had been canceled when he spoke with the Chuunin manning the secretary's desk. Satoshi shrugged his shoulders and Shunshined home where he made a single Kage Bunshin before he henged into Arashi while his clone transformed into Aranami and the two of them Shunshined to another of his warded refuges so that he could wander about the village for a bit before heading to the academy.

As he walked, Satoshi studied one of the team file packets he'd been given the previous afternoon while his clone studied the other; he wanted to make certain that he hadn't missed anything the first time he'd gone through them the night before. He then swapped files with his clone as he didn't yet know which team was being assigned to which twin and he wanted to be prepared even if he planned to have both personas train both of the two teams whether one or both of them passed. His reason; the twins did everything together and everyone knew they did; so it would be expected that they would train a Genin team or two together as well even though most Jounin worked alone.

He managed to kill another hour that way before he decided that he might as well show up early so he can gauge the other Jounin's reaction to the Uzutsui Twin's presence since he wasn't certain how many of them had heard that they'd be taking the teams that had previously been assigned to Mujini and Iyashi. It would also give him a chance to mess with those Jounin that would be joining his squad to see if they could handle the twin's more annoying habits.

That was one thing that Satoshi absolutely loved about his alter egos; it was a chance for him to release all of the emotions that he usually suppressed when he was out in public without feeling any of the guilt he felt when he himself gave into his emotions. A chance to be the person he'd had the potential to become but could no longer fully embrace because of the scars on his soul due to his past experiences and the loss of so many close family members, friends, and teammates.

Satoshi was pleasantly surprised to find Kakashi already in the Jounin lounge of the academy along with Iwashi when he entered the room alongside his clone. Grinning, 'Arashi' sat down on Kakashi's lap and draped his arms around Kakashi's neck while Aranami stepped up behind him and started massaging his shoulders. Iwashi actually gave out a strangled gasp that was half shock and half amusement while Kakashi merely rolled his only visible eye and shoved Satoshi off his lap and onto the floor. Iwashi burst out laughing as Satoshi pouted up at Kakashi using the dreaded Fukigen no Jutsu which earned him the middle finger from the Jounin.

"Don't make offers that you have no intention of honoring," Aranami ordered as she slapped Kakashi upside the back of the head before she dropped down on the couch several inches away from Kakashi to prevent him from dispelling 'her' by accident.

"Why oh why do I have to put up with the two of you today, of all days?" Kakashi demanded in what almost sounded like a whine.

"You know you love us, Kakashi-koi," Satoshi blithely declared as he got up and lay on his back across the back of the couch with his hands crossed behind his head.

"Love to kill you, maybe," Kakashi retorted which set Iwashi off again.

"You keep saying that but your actions say other wise," Aranami countered as she glanced sideways at Kakashi before asking him a question. "Why are you here so early? This is the kind of thing you're always late for normally."

Kakashi mumbled something about books, a mission, and blackmail under his breath and Satoshi burst out laughing which earned him a second trip to the floor courtesy of Kakashi as the older man shoved him off the back of the couch with a none-too-gentle shove. He was still snickering when he climbed back up two minutes later; he hadn't thought that Kakashi had taken him seriously when he joked about the Hokage giving his alter egos an S Ranked mission to steal Kakashi's books.

The idea that the Hokage might have actually threatened to assign just such a mission to the twins made the whole thing even funnier and was one possible explanation as to why Kakashi had taken his joke the day before so seriously. When Kakashi started leaking killing intent, Satoshi did his best to stop laughing as he instead turned his attention to his old friend. A glance at his clone had Aranami joining him as the two of them began to shamelessly flirt with Iwashi.

As the other eight Jounin trickled into the room, Satoshi and his clone would transfer his attention to them, though he treated Genma with far more respect and more like the uncle he'd become to Satoshi rather than yet another potential target. The reason for that was because he had a healthy respect for the man's ability to stick those toothpicks he was constantly chewing on in the most uncomfortable of places. And yes, the 'twins' had learned _that_ lesson the hard way the one time Satoshi had actually attempted to flirt with the older man while in his alternate persona.

Kurenai nearly skewered Aranami when Satoshi's female half started flirting with Asuma and Satoshi wondered if the older kunoichi had a crush on the man or if they were actually involved as he noted Asuma gritting his teeth when the disguised Satoshi started chatting up the genjutsu mistress. Satoshi had then leaned in to whisper that they could make it a foursome as he pointedly stared in Asuma's direction and grinned like a Cheshire cat when Kurenai blushed bright red before he added that she needn't worry that his sister would steal her beau as the two of them were still pining after Kakashi which had the woman staring at Satoshi for a full minute before she burst out laughing.

Satoshi had sauntered back over to Kakashi after that and sprawled himself half across the other Jounin's lap (as if to prove his point) while whipping out what appeared to be an authentic signed copy of Icha-Icha Paradise which had Kakashi freezing with his hands halfway to Satoshi's neck. Satoshi then grinned coyly up at his honorary brother as he intentionally licked his thumb and then used that thumb to turn the page in the book and the older man actually let out a strangled whimper before he slowly withdrew his hands.

Aranami laughed and perched on the couch behind Kakashi and ran her fingers through Kakashi's hair while the other Jounin in the room stared at the trio in disbelief; since most everyone knew Kakashi was engaged to the new Chief of Police. Even though he knew he'd pay for it later, Satoshi was laughing his ass off in his mind as it had been a long time since he'd gotten his long time friend and brother so thoroughly and he couldn't wait to share the memory with Dora as she'd get a kick out of it. As would his father, their mutual teammates (from both teams), and Kasai.

The three of them stayed like that right up until the monitors crackled to life as the Genin started filtering into the classroom; Satoshi licking his thumb to turn a page any time that Kakashi attempted to displace him or his sister. Once the announcements of their teams were imminent, Satoshi sat up and quite pointedly tucked the book he'd been reading into a hidden pocket on the inside of his flack jacket; much to Kakashi's relief and annoyance. He then gave his full attention to the monitors and grew serious as he studied thirty-three of the thirty-four new Genin and the two Chuunin as they took their seats; all of them potential members of his division though he doubted more than half (if that many) would pass their final tests.

Umino Iruka entered the classroom a few minutes later with Touji Mizuki on his heels and Satoshi studied both adult Chuunin as the Hokage had hinted that they too would be placed in his division and he couldn't help but frown as his eyes fell on Mizuki. He'd never liked the pale haired man when they'd been in the academy together and Satoshi knew the man had been one of those that had been taught by Orochimaru. He knew that being a student of the Snake Sannin didn't automatically make the man evil and the man had apparently escaped the purges four years earlier so he hadn't been tagged with the cursed seal.

However, Satoshi still remembered how cold and cruel the Chuunin had been during the year they'd been in the academy together. He'd been one of Satoshi's biggest tormentors before he'd turned to easier targets after Satoshi had befriended Kumade and Tokuma. In contrast, Satoshi got along great with Iruka (as did all of his termites) and enjoyed the easy going Chuunin's company the few times that they'd run into each other at the ramen stand over the years (that was in addition to the times that Satoshi had worked with the Chuunin's former team after Team Twelve had been disbanded).

That the two instructors worked well together and were reported to be friends helped Satoshi bury his personal dislike of Mizuki in order to prepare himself for the day when he'd need to work alongside the older man. The disguised Satoshi then returned his attention back to the other two Chuunin that he knew for certain would end up being assigned to his division; Endo Hayase and Oota Oukei.

Hayase had wild black hair that stuck up in every direction above his hitai-ate (much like Satoshi's hair) that he wore like a headband and an easy going grin. He wore a light blue-gray hooded sweater and the dark blue pants that most shinobi wore. Oukei on the other hand had short hair that he kept neatly in place with his hitai-ate that was tied about his head like a bandana and wore glasses. He wore a tan tank top beneath a short sleeved dark gray over shirt that had the kanji for endeavor embroidered in the center of a circle on the back, a thin black sash tied about his waist, and brown pants.

Both Chuunin were seventeen years old and had been teammates since they were twelve when they first graduated from the Academy. Their new teammate, on the other hand, was the twelve year old Haruno Sakura, who had long bright pink hair, a red dress that was split up to the waist on both sides overtop of skin tight dark gray shorts, and wore her hitai-ate like a hair band. She had wide, pale green eyes that were currently staring dreamily at one Uchiha Sasuke and at the moment held none of the intelligence that her file reported her to have; though that was most likely due to her currently being in full 'fan-girl' mode.

Her rival, Yamanaka Ino, could have been Sakura's twin but for the fact that they physically looked nothing alike (Ino had long, blond hair that she wore up in a high ponytail and blue eyes). She too was currently drooling over Sasuke the same as Sakura though and had dressed in more feminine clothes like Sakura; wearing a sleeveless purple midriff shirt with a wide turtle-neck collar that she wore folded down, a short purple skirt slit up to the hips on both sides, white and purple arm warmers on her arms, white bandages wrapped around her stomach and legs to maintain her modesty, small silver hoop earrings, and her hitai-ate tied around her waist like a belt.

Satoshi was inordinately pleased that his daughter would grow up to adopt the clan's style of dress within the next couple of years; meaning that he wouldn't have to worry about her wearing such 'girly' and revealing clothes while on missions or during training sessions. Satoshi added commiserating with Inoichi to his mental to do list with a side note to give the older man a sympathy gift as he had no idea how the man kept his sanity with his daughter walking around in such a skimpy outfit. Shaking his head to clear away the unnecessary thoughts, Satoshi refocused again on the Genin, and shifted his attention shift to Ino's assigned teammates; Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji.

Shikamaru was the spitting image of his father, minus the facial hair and scars; intelligent dark eyes that appeared bored as hell, long black hair pulled up in a messy ponytail that made it look like he had a pineapple sitting on his head, and that small smug grin that said he knew everything you didn't know or he would soon enough. He wore a pale grey, green, and teal midriff vest over a short-sleeved mesh shirt and plain black pants, his hitai-ate around his upper left arm, and hoop earrings that Satoshi knew matched those his father wore as well as those Ino wore. Satoshi just knew that the kid was going to be as troublesome as his father and on the screen Shikamaru sneezed suddenly before he glanced directly at the camera.

Snorting in amusement over the kid's reaction, Satoshi let his eyes drift to Chouji; Torifu's grandnephew and the current heir to the Akimichi Clan. Like all of the Akimichi, Chouji could be considered fat though the only people who dared call them that to their face were those with a death wish. Satoshi knew, from conversations he'd had with Kasai and his father, that the Akimichi Clan possessed the ability to convert fat into chakra and that their large size was a protective buffer that could potentially save their lives during an intense battle.

The young Akimichi in question had a red spiral tattooed on both cheeks and light brown hair with a slight red tint that stuck up in all directions; though the way Chouji had tied his hitai-ate around his head made his hair stick out on either side of his head much like the 'horns' that Torifu sported (when not wearing his mask) though no where as clear cut. Unfortunately, this made it look like Chouji was wearing a pair of underwear on his head and Satoshi knew the boy had been or would be teased mercilessly for that by others. He wore a lose white t-shirt with the kanji for food on the front with a green short sleeve shirt overtop that he left unbuttoned, dark brown shorts with his calves and ankles wrapped in bandages along with his hands, wrists, and forearms, a long white scarf around his neck, and small silver hoop earrings like Shikamaru and Ino.

Satoshi knew that those three kids were expected to follow in their fathers' footsteps to form the next generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho team that had been and still was a formidable team. Satoshi had had a chance to see the older trio in action during the routing of Root four years earlier and they had been impressive to behold; their teamwork flawless and their attacks seamless. It had been the memory of watching them fight as a single unit (one thought – one goal) that had inspired Satoshi's tactics for the second half of his Jounin Melee exhibition. He truly looked forward to the potential he knew those three kids had locked up inside of them (much as he looked forward to the day his little termites surpassed him as he knew they would).

Shifting his gaze, Satoshi next studied one of the two teams that his alter egos had been assigned. Team Eleven consisted of Rouga Hotaka, Kichida Taichi, and Mori Aina; the three oldest new Genin that had earned their hitai-ate this time around.

Hotaka was a tall thin sixteen year old boy with short cropped blonde hair, pale skin covered with freckles, a huge chip on his shoulder, and a perpetual sneer. According to his file, he came from a merchant family that had dumped the boy in the academy because he showed promise, kept terrorizing the younger kids belonging to the merchant caravan that his family belonged to, and he'd been sniffing around the older girls like a randy dog. He wore an expensive gold silk kimono overtop of a blue t-shirt, bright red-orange pants, and wooden platform shoes that were impractical.

Fifteen year old Taichi was just the opposite of Hotaka; short and stocky, he had dark brown hair that hung in a half tangled mess down his back, tanned skin clear of any blemishes, a friendly disposition, and an easy going smile. He wore a threadbare purple shirt, patched brown trench coat, and green pants with tattered hems; the teen from a rather large and poor family of farmers and most everything he had was second hand (including the brace of slightly rusted and pitted kunai that he wore around his left leg and the pitchfork he had strapped across his back). He was also, however, far too easily riled and quick to lose his temper when anyone picked on his weight, his lack of height, his family's financial state, or his threadbare clothing.

Finally there was Aina, the eighteen year old daughter of a local seamstress. She was currently wearing an ankle length peasant's dress that was brown with yellow accents and a pristine frilly white apron tied around her waist. She had long, brownish-orange hair that was currently done up in an intricate braid and coiled on top of her head. She was also wearing a rather impractical pair of high heeled shoes that looked like they would be rather difficult to walk in let alone run or fight in. Overall, her attire was even more impractical than Ino and Sakura's skimpy outfits despite the fact that her dress was far more modest than the two younger girls' chosen clothing.

The next trio of new-made Genin to fall under Satoshi's scrutiny was the second team that his alternate personas had been assigned to lead. Team Fourteen was a very different group of Genin when compared to Team Eleven. To start with, the three children that were assigned to Team Fourteen were the youngest three academy students to pass the exam this time; all three of them ten years old. All three of them were also dressed in far more practical clothing than those that the older Genin were wearing (though, in Taichi's case it was more necessity that dictated his attire rather than choice like it was when it came to his two teammates).

First there was Ando Kaito; a rather short and scrawny boy with short dirty blonde hair and pale blue-gray eyes. The kid was wearing bright blue pants and a large red hooded jacket that practically swallowed him whole. Then there was Taniguchi Daiki; a tall and lanky boy with long muddy brown hair, violet colored eyes, and an outfit that looked eerily similar to the one that Satoshi always wore when he was posing as Arashi. Lastly there was Sasaki Tsukiko; a slightly pudgy girl who was just a couple of inches shorter than Daiki with short dark green hair, wide hazel eyes, and a slightly more modest version of Aranami's outfit.

In order to avoid the mental trauma of acknowledging just how eerily familiar that particular trio looked due to their attire, Satoshi finally turned his attention to Kakashi's potential team; rookie of the year (because Naruto and Shino, had graduated two years earlier and Shikamaru was too lazy to work that hard) Uchiha Sasuke, a civilian boy by the name of Miyamoto Tobio, and Inuzuka Kiba.

The teen wasn't quite certain what anyone saw in the brooding snob with the superiority complex that was exceeded only by his obsession with killing his older brother. His dark hair was just as messy as Satoshi's, if not messier, and stuck up in the back like some kind of bird's tail and Satoshi had an urge to call the depressing boy chicken butt to his face just to see how he'd react. He wore a wide collared short sleeve blue shirt, blue and white arm warmers, white shorts, and his hitai-ate around his forehead which only emphasized the poultry tail his hair formed.

His dark eyes were cold and bitter and Satoshi felt a wave of pity wash through him as he realized that the kid probably didn't have anyone to go home to as he'd adamantly refused to accept a guardian or move off the Uchiha Estate. He also had difficulty in seeing Sasuke as a relation of Obito; which helped to ease any grief Satoshi would have felt over being reminded of his first and much missed honorary brother. Not wanting to dwell on the brooding orphan, Satoshi let his attention shift to the civilian on the team.

Tobio looked enough like a Nara that he could have been mistaken for Shikamaru's brother or cousin if not for the fact that the twelve year old was full of energy and had become known through the years as the class clown. If rumors were true, Tobio actually had a personality very similar to Iruka's and looked enough like the Chuunin that he could have been mistaken for Iruka's son almost as quickly as he could be mistaken for a Nara and the only reason he wasn't, was due to the fact that the Iruka would have been far too young at the time of Tobio's birth.

The kid wore a short sleeved, light gray, sailor shirt trimmed in navy blue with matching dark blue pants and his hitai-ate around his forehead. According to his file, the boy had excellent chakra control and had both the potential and the desire to become a medic despite his tendency to goof off as he was by no means stupid; just a joker, much like Kotetsu and Izumo.

Satoshi's eyes were then drawn to the one Genin that he'd rather have absolutely nothing to do with; Inuzuka Kiba and his ninken partner, Akamaru. Oh, Satoshi was sure the boy wasn't that bad despite being labeled as a trouble maker and the dead last of the current class (due to his frequent habit of ditching class). No, Satoshi hadn't wanted anything to do with the boy because he was related to Inuzuka Toshiro. In fact, the boy was the spitting image of Toshiro; from his dark, messy brown hair, his small dark eyes, and the red fangs tattooed on his cheeks to the shape of his face and his slightly longer and far sharper than normal canines that reminded Satoshi of vampire fangs.

He even dressed much like Toshiro had dressed and it made Satoshi's heart ache for the teen he'd never quite allowed himself to consider a teammate and all that had been lost when that fateful mission had fallen apart and again later when Toshiro had taken his own life. Thank kami that Akamaru looked nothing like Kariudo (Toshiro's wolfhound ninken) or having to work with the pair would have been ten times worse. As it was, Satoshi's eyes cut away from the screen as he tensed up and fought to control his breathing as he saw again the explosion that took Kariudo's life and Toshiro's leg.

A pair of hands sliding around his neck startled Satoshi, caught up in his memories as he was, and he reacted instinctively (and rather violently) before his brain could process where he was and who it was that had touched him. He grabbed the hands of what he thought was an attacker and pulled the person up and over his head before slamming the person onto the floor at his feet. It wasn't until he saw the stunned expression on his clone's face as it exploded into smoke the moment it impacted with the floor that Satoshi snapped out his memories as the other Jounin all turned to stare at him in shock over what had just happened.

Embarrassed and pissed as all hell that he lost control in front of the other Jounin, Satoshi cursed violently under his breath before he Shunshined out of the room in a burst of leaves. He ended up in the middle of Training Ground Twenty-Three where Team Twelve used to train occasionally and he stared at the unused field for a minute before he created a quartet of cement clones and threw himself into a furious battle in an effort to fight the demons that were haunting him for the first time in nearly ten years.

He probably would have fought until he passed out if not for his internal clock telling him that it was time to pick up Saki from daycare. Dropping the henge he'd been wearing, Satoshi wrapped himself up in his emotionless mask and buried all thoughts and feelings as he transported himself across town to collect his daughter. He found her sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by a swirl of uncontrolled magic with silent tears tracking down her face and Satoshi cursed to himself as he realized that she'd been channeling his emotions; something that happened occasionally when he was particularly emotional and that he suspected was the result of the chakra connection that he'd shared with her since the first night he'd held her.

Dispelling her wild magic with a slash of his hand, Satoshi scooped his daughter up into his arms and held her close to his heart as he rocked her gently. Satoshi then apologized to Hannah for the trouble before he beat a hasty retreat so he could go somewhere private in order for the two of them to get their emotions under control. They ended up sitting on the Yondaime's hair at the top of the Hokage Monument where they sat over looking the village; or rather Satoshi was looking out over the village while Saki was clung to his shirt inside his jacket with her face pressed against his chest – her tears soaking his shirt.

Not wanting to face anyone in his current state of emotional upheaval (his emotions far from controlled despite being locked behind his mask) and knowing he couldn't shirk his duty, Satoshi sent a pair of Kage Bunshin to meet with his two potential Genin teams in his place so they wouldn't be left hanging. Pinny silently delivered a late lunch to the father and daughter duo a half hour later when they didn't turn up at home for the meal; the elf instinctively knowing not to disturb them. They remained up on top of the Hokage's Monument until the sun set at which time Satoshi reluctantly took them home so that Saki could eat supper and have a bath.

Satoshi wasn't really surprised to find Kakashi and Dora sitting at the table with the rest of the family that night and he wordlessly passed the now calm (if not happy and bubbly as usual) Saki to her godmother before he excused himself. Knowing his daughter would be cared for, Satoshi cut off his connection to Saki so she wouldn't feel his emotions as he withdrew to his room and climbed up the wall until his feet were on the ceiling before he laid his back flat against the wall. He then spent the next two hours doing endless repetitions of sit ups; allowing gravity to add a level of difficulty as he worked to maintain his hold on the ceiling and keep his repetitions smooth and steady.

He heard the door open and close several times but he didn't pay any attention to who was coming and going as he focused his attention on what he was doing in order to not think and not see the old memories that were clamoring for his attention. At the end of those two hours, his steady if slow slide down the wall as he grew exhausted and his aching body let him know that he'd pushed himself to his current physical limits long enough and he let himself drop to the floor where he ended up sprawled on his back after he tripped over his own feet and botched his landing. Closing his eyes, he spent a moment steadying his breathing (that he only just now realized had become rather ragged) and counted his heart beats until they returned to a slow and steady rhythm.

He still wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings but that was intentional as he feared his demons would come back to haunt him once more the moment he attempted to return to reality. The familiar comforting warmth of healing chakra rushing through his body had Satoshi opening his eyes just long enough to identify Kanpou leaning over him before he let his eyes close again.

"Are you in any pain?" Kanpou asked softly, the older man having noticed Satoshi's eyes opening briefly.

"Not anywhere that you can heal," Satoshi confessed in a voice far rougher than normal.

"Just making certain you didn't push yourself beyond simple exhaustion."

"I wanted to but knew it wouldn't help and despite the demons haunting me today, I know I still have a duty to perform tomorrow and since I am obligated to put forth the effort; I will do so because I can do no less."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Shibi inquired with concern from somewhere behind him.

"It was like looking at a damn ghost," Satoshi rasped without opening his eyes in response to his father's question. "If I didn't know it was impossible because of the timing and because _he'd_ been pining after Nanami; I'd swear he was _his_ son or younger brother. In all of the years since that day… I never looked at any member of that clan; I never wanted to see the resemblance between any of them and _him_. I didn't allow myself to see, refused to even look least I see _him_. I didn't want to remember my mistakes and then suddenly there I was face to face with Tsume's son and he was wearing _his_ face. It was like a punch in the gut and at the same time I saw again the explosion that destroyed _his_ leg and killed _his_ ninken partner."

"I couldn't distinguish between then and now until I'd made a fool of myself in front of the other Jounin and it hurt so much to know that it was partly my fault that _he's_ dead. Knowing I'm going to have to see _his_ face on another and that I'm going to have to work with another that looks and acts just like _him_ , **kills**. Kamisama above but I didn't think it would hurt this bad and what's worse is that my pain bled over to Saki-chan again because of my connection to her chakra network and she had no idea why she felt so tormented."

"We are all human and we all make mistakes at some point in our life," Kakashi unexpectedly stated in a matter-of-fact tone from the vicinity of Satoshi's bed. "Toshiro knew he made a mistake and he chose to deal with the shame he felt much the same way my father dealt with the shame and disgrace that came when he chose to abandon his mission in order to save the lives of his teammates; by taking his own life."

"You did what you had to do and accepted the blame for your own mistakes and you pushed on; Toshiro was unable to do that. His inability to cope with the loss of his ninken and his leg is not your fault though; you did what you felt you had to do based upon your knowledge and the situation you found yourself in at the time. You could have chosen to abandon both of your teammates and flee in order to save your life; you didn't. You could have panicked and ended up getting all three of you killed; you didn't."

"I know that in my head most days," Satoshi murmured softly in reply. "Right now my heart is having trouble accepting it because it hurts for what I can't change and can't fix. I haven't worked with an Inuzuka since that mission. I don't know if it was an unconscious effort on my part, a conscious effort on the Hokage's part, a mere fluke, or some combination of the three but in the nine and a half years since then, I had not once been placed on a team or asked to assist on a mission where there would be ninken present aside from when you summoned one of your pack. I don't know how I'm going to face the kid when your team finally joins Division Sixteen and I have to face him in a spar."

"I feel much the same about being on a team with another Uchiha," Kakashi admitted just as softly.

"If he had looked anything like Obito-nii or if he'd had Obito's perpetual happy outlook; I probably would have been far more hung up on him than I was on Tsume's boy. It was far easier seeing Sasuke since he is the exact opposite of everything Obito that was, though seeing the cold bitterness in that boy's eyes hurt because I remember the joy and mischief that could always be found in Obito's dark eyes. Besides, I think I spent far more time wondering if Sasuke intentionally styled his hair to look like a chicken's butt or if it just looked that way naturally than recalling that he's an Uchiha and therefore related to my first niisan."

"Ano…" Shibi blurted out at the unexpected non-sequitur at the end.

"Well, it's true; I mean have you seen the way it sticks up in the back? And with him wearing his hitai-ate tied around his head but under his fringe, it gives him the appearance of having wings on the side of his head which only reinforces that butt-like visage. I'd really like to know how long it takes him to get it to stand up like that each morning… or if he just rolls out of bed like that."

"Please don't ask him; he's more likely to kill you instead of answer you," Kakashi deadpanned.

Satoshi snorted as he rolled his head to the side so that he could look up at his self-claimed brother as he opened his eyes and retorted, "That's what Kasai-sama swore Itachi would do if I asked him whether or not most Uchiha were born with a stick up their asses or if they worked to put it there over time; and I'm still alive."

"Nani…?"

"Of course, that might have been because Arashi had walked up and kissed him on the lips on a dare while Aranami draped herself against his back and ran her hands all over his chest as she asked him the question; I don't think he really registered what I asked him but he did stare at the twins in confusion every time we crossed paths after that. I don't know if he was trying to figure out why we were still alive or if he was trying to decide whether or not we were just toying with his affection since both of my alter egos always blew him kisses after that."

"I take it you are feeling better now?" Shibi asked dryly as he leaned down to stare at Satoshi from his perch on Torune's bed.

"Somewhat," Satoshi breathed softly, his voice slightly steadier than it had been earlier as he closed his eyes again before sitting up now that Kanpou was done with him. When he turned around, leaned his back against the wall, and opened his eyes so he could see everyone in the room he was a bit surprised to find Inoichi, Ibiki, and Kasai there as well as the other three he'd interacted with since he'd been pulled from his mental fog by Kanpou. "Ano… how long have the rest of you been sitting there?"

"Did you really ask Itachi if the Uchiha were born with a stick up their ass?" Ibiki inquired with a rumbling laugh as his eyes danced with mirth.

"We've been here since before your rather graceless tumble to the floor," Kasai remarked with exasperation and concern.

"Oh, I'm sorry I ignored everyone," Satoshi replied as he tipped his head back against the wall and closed his eyes once more. "I heard the door opening and closing but didn't bother keeping track of who was coming or going because I was fighting the memories that have been haunting me since I was blindsided by Inuzuka Kiba's resemblance to… to Toshiro. If not for the fact that Akamaru looks nothing like Kariudo, I think I might have actually believed that Kiba was Toshiro come back from the dead to haunt me; he even wears the same hooded gray jacket edged with fur that Toshiro used to wear even on the hottest days of summer. And yes, Ibiki, I really asked Itachi that."

"Did you ever allow yourself to grieve for him?" Inoichi asked from where he was leaning against the wall beside the taller Ibiki.

"No and I never got a chance to make peace with him over what happened before he hung himself and I think that's what hurts the most. Nanami and I actually dealt with the baggage between us and we both apologized for our mistakes that hurt each other but we can't do that with Toshiro because he isn't here. I thought maybe I had managed to deal with my guilt at least; because I have used the terrible memory of that day to make the younger shinobi assigned to my squad… well division now since I'll soon have the numbers… to make them understand just how important teamwork is to a mission in addition to following the rules and having skill."

"I guess knowing I'll have to deal with an Inuzuka for the first time hit me harder than I thought it would and nothing prepared me for just how much he looked like Toshiro. It will be hard seeing his face day in and day out when we train and during missions but its not like I can kick him out of my division just because he's a painful reminder of a past teammate. I may have to get Padfoot to explain things to the boy so I can buy myself some leeway instead of earning his ire and disdain when I inevitably give him a cold shoulder or hungry stare until I grow more used to his presence."

"I'll let Sarutobi know that you'll be fine, given time then," Kasai stated as he crossed the room to place his hand on Satoshi's head. "We both saw you freeze up and then kill your clone with no warning and witnessed your rather furious if short sword fight against yourself and worried that maybe we'd pushed you too hard, too soon. Walking in and finding you doing sit ups upside down on the wall was a bit troubling but I've seen you do all sorts of weird training exercises through the years. I think the most disturbing thing was hearing you admit that you hadn't even known we were here until you opened your eyes and saw us; something that would have never happened under normal circumstances."

"Actually, I used to zone out all the time when I was little," Satoshi admitted with a half grin that was more sad than amused. "Kushina and otousan drove that habit out of me with extra laps, humiliating pranks, and dire threats; how do you think I came up with some of my more unorthodox training methods to break my termites and minions of their bad habits?"

"Minions? Since when do you have minions?" Ibiki asked curiously.

"Since I was nine technically," Satoshi laughed softly. "I just didn't properly appreciate their potential until I was about eleven when I started teaching them how to prank without getting caught. Only now, their numbers have more than tripled and I've been give free license to turn them into a proper army."

"Ibiki, I'm retiring right now; good luck heading up our department," Inoichi deadpanned before heading towards the door. "I'll have my office cleaned out tonight so you can move in first thing in the morning."

Everyone laughed and Satoshi smiled as he caught sight of the grin on Inoichi's face, knowing the older man was just teasing him. Feeling far better than he had earlier, Satoshi climbed to his feet and scrubbed at his face for a moment before he followed the others out of his room. He spent the rest of the evening cuddling with his daughter while he listened to the boys talk about their day before he asked them to tell him what they knew about the six individuals he'd be testing the following morning. He even allowed the seven boys to offer suggestions for the two tests he would be administering, throwing out the absurd or those that were above the current level of the Genin but accepting others with a small modification or two.

By the time he crawled into bed that night, Satoshi was almost back to himself though he sent his daughter to sleep with Shino and Naruto while he himself crashed in the living room so he wouldn't wake Torune if he had any nightmares. And he had nightmares aplenty that night; though they were no where near as bad as he'd feared they would be and he suspected that was due to the fact that he was older now, had mostly come to terms with what happened on that mission, and had talked about what had bothered him right away instead of holding it inside like he had for over a month after it first happened.

He was also thankful that the nightmares he did have hadn't pulled upon the worst of his experiences at Hogwarts because he wouldn't have dealt with those nearly as well considering some of them were far darker than those from the years prior to attending the school of magic.

* * *

 **Translations:** Japanese to English

Ano – um/uh  
Fukigen no Jutsu – fatal pout technique often employed by children and women everywhere  
Kami/kamisama – spirits/god

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 **AN:** _Again, this chapter was very similar to chapter 32/33 in the original posting of Bug Boy with two big exceptions; one being Kurenai's presence and the other being the composition of Satoshi's second team. The next chapter will have a major deviation from the original story-line and will provide you with an insight into why both versions have different team compositions. You can expect the next chapter to be up sometime within the next seven days; I'm not going to give a specific day though since I've been having too much trouble posting chapters on the promised day. ~ Jenn_


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